Image
Ponemon-report-2026-cover

2026 Creating a Modern and Mature Security Operations Center (SOC) Report

 

Developed by the Ponemon Institute, in partnership with Optiv and Palo Alto Networks, the 2026 report on Creating a Modern and Mature Security Operations Center (SOC) showcases the current state of SOC staffing, tooling and complexity and their respective impacts on SOC effectiveness.

 

By solving for the reported issues within, be it lack of visibility, tool sprawl and/or distrust in automation, to name a few, these centralized units can improve their monitoring, detecting, investigating and responding to security events to ensure the organization’s security posture is maintained.

 

Highlights from the 2026 Report

 

Developed by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Optiv and Palo Alto Networks, the report offers front-line insights from more than 570 IT and cybersecurity pros on how their organizations’ SOC staffs, tools and measures success in its effort to keep up with an always evolving and ever-complex cyber threat landscape.

Increased Incidents

 

0%

report increased security incidents

Understaffed

 

0%

say SOC doesn’t have enough staff

Consolidating

 

0%

pursuing technology consolidation in the SOC

Integration

 

0%

of SOC tools are not well integrated across detection, investigation and response

AI Adoption

 

0%

use AI/ML to support SOC functions

Identity

 

0%

say identity visibility is key to improving SOC outcomes

Related Insights

Image
resource-1
2025 Cybersecurity Threat and Risk Management Report
Image
resource-2
2025 Industry Threat Profile
Image
resource-3
Agentic Security Operations (formerly Optiv MDR)
Image
resource-4
SOC Modernization